ESPN’s Paul Feinbaum recently discussed potential plans for interviewing former President Donald Trump during a conversation with OutKick’s Clay Travis. Feinbaum noted that while the network attempted to arrange the meeting in 2019, the proposal was eventually shelved. He mentioned that Trump was supposed to participate in events tied to LSU and Alabama games, and Feinbaum expressed interest in going beyond that.
Feinbaum recounted that ESPN producers were eager for something significant, and while brainstorming, he reached out to a friend in Washington, D.C. They discussed the possibility of filming the interview at the White House. Plans seemed promising; however, when he alerted his boss about the arrangement, it was abruptly canceled.
During the chat, Feinbaum touched on how the interview’s closure felt disappointing, noting that they were told, “we can’t mix politics with sports.” This came after observing other analysts, like Andy Katz, who had previously interviewed President Barack Obama during the NCAA basketball tournament without a hitch.
According to Feinbaum, the opportunity was all about football rather than politics—it was about showcasing one of college football’s biggest games. He expressed confusion about the reasons behind the decision to pull the plug at the last minute.
ESPN has not provided any comments regarding this matter. Feinbaum’s full discussion with Travis is set to broadcast on Tuesday morning.
